Determining seventh grade students' mental models of atom and molecules

The purpose of this study was to determine seventh grade students' mental models designed before the process of forming a model regarding the concepts of atom and molecule, their manner and attitudes during the implementation and the function of outcomes that students produced after the implementation. It also aimed to present the difference between models designed before the implementation and models designed in the implementation. This study was conducted with randomized 25 (N=25) seventh grade students at Hasan Ali Yücel Secondary School, located in the Görele district of Giresun province in the 2015-2016 academic year. These students were divided into eight groups with the help of an expert teacher at this school. This study was a case study. The researcher collected study data by using clinical interviews, a structured observation form and by recording videos. To analyze the data, this study used content and descriptive analysis, which are qualitative data analysis methods. N-Vivo 9 software was used in the analysis to gain validity. Data from the clinical interviews were evaluated using content analysis, and the structured observation form was evaluated using descriptive analysis. The study findings indicate that the students adopted the model as a concept within the atom, that they formed the Rutherford atom model instead of the modern atom theory, and that most of them regarded the structure of atom as a round structure. They also indicate that there was a significant lack in the field knowledge of students, and that students had various difficulties in selecting elements of the model and combining them. It is thought that giving more extensive place to the unit regarding the atom and molecule concepts in the teaching program will reduce students' misconception about locating subatomic particles. Teaching atom models to students respectively will help students to adopt the modern atom theory, which is the most recent atom model. The fact that students already know the structure of elements in 3D model studies will establish a basis for easy implementation, thus it can be provided for students to spend more time doing-experiencing with materials in the laboratory. There is no generalizable concern based on the results of the implementation. The need to conduct further studies in the literature by converting students' mental models of atoms and molecules into the 3D model will add a different dimension.